Debunking the Top Myths of Web Application Security Testing Gartner predicted that by 2016, 40% of the organizations will make autonomous security testing a prerequisite for using any type of cloud service. And this has indeed happened! There is an intrinsic necessity for security testing of all kinds of applications. But then, there is a cluster of myths that mount the ground. An organization that wants to establish integrity in today’s world, be it in the field of IOT, Mobile Applications or Software Development, will have to invest in its security testing. This is not an option, but an emergency. To persist and to beat the competition, an application has to have sound security. Nevertheless, a lot of organizations still do not get the business critically off the need and tend to ignore the endowment of security testing. One of the reasons to this could be the misconceptions surrounding the best practices that should be followed for security. Myths are results of too much focus being put on the alleged ‘best practices’ available for every role or function. Organizations often trust these myths, fall prey to the excess of resources and efforts, and end up with products that are not as secure as they should be.
Below is the list for these common myths and solutions to demystify them: 1. Penetration Testing Discovers (and Unravels) all Major Weaknesses Penetration testing (also known as pen testing) is the exercise of testing a computer system, network or Web application to find vulnerabilities that an attacker could abuse. That being said, penetration testing is not something that can solve all problems related to software security and should not be treated as a one stop shop for all the vulnerabilities. Even after a penetration test is performed, a few issues may remain well hidden only to resurface in future, when it will be far more costly to resolve. Penetration testing will surely be accessible, if done autonomously while brushing up the code and design in the initial stages it-self. 2. Security is the Lone Responsibility of Developers (or a Department) Practically no! The reality is far-off this. Web Application Security Testing is not a concern of a single group. In fact, a group of people from the development and testing departments must come together to create a software security group. Essential groups like these must then work closely with the main development group, and must be accountable for the overall health of the security of the applications. 3. Perimeter Security is enough to Support Applications Although a multiple layer of Firewalls can monitor real-time environments, apart from preserving networks from nasty attacks in fending off designated traffic from gain access to your system; they do not transact in any manner whatever be the problem of uncertainty of the applications’ themselves. A genuine way out is to make robust, fully-secure applications that cannot be hacked into. 4. Assent with Internal Standards Is a Security Guarantee This is a very misled interpretation of the whole need, requirement, and goals that relate to the International standards. These standards are in no way related to testing the vulnerabilities of any application. Most standards only touch the surface of the part of security as they have been laid down to achieve some other, very specific goals. In addition to this, some organizations feel that the auditors for these standards may help them in identifying the security issues. In reality, nothing can stand beyond the truth. 5. “We don’t have a software security problem.” This myth (and misconception) is undoubtedly the worst and can be the reason for the breakdown of an organization. Organizations that do not feel the need to invest in security testing just because they have never confronted any attacks, or they do not have web-based applications, or do not fall under any international compliance standards, are bound to fail in the long run. Because Organizations like these tend to disregard the importance of Security Testing, and will never be prepared when something wrong
happens with their applications. In reality, organizations that do not pay any attention to the security needs rather are jeopardizing a huge amount of private data which may result in peerless loss of confidence and trust of the customers. While security education and core research are helping people in becoming more conscious about security and its repercussions, there still are many myths that are to be taken care of.
BugRaptors’ Mobile and Web Application Security Testing services ensure that organization’s reputation, customer confidence and trust along with privacy of the sensitive data. It provides an exhaustive security analysis supported by the comprehensive reports and dashboards along with the remedial measures for data security challenges. Reach out to us for more insights on security testing. For any query or details, contact us at (+1)240.241.6894 or mail us at info@bugraptors.com